Containers can, for example, be used as bottles for liquids, for example, for drinks. The containers, e.g. bottles, can consist of a transparent or translucent material, for example glass or a translucent plastic, e.g. PET. However it is also conceivable that the containers could consist of other materials and that they can be filled with other filling materials.
Known container-handling devices are for example rinsers, fillers, labeling machines and so forth. Transport devices can be of the rotary or linear type, both these types exhibiting preferably circulating holding devices. A labeling machine, for example, exhibits an infeed star wheel, a transport star wheel on which different units can be disposed, and an outlet star wheel, which is in itself known and so will not be described in any more detail here.
On the container-handling devices, the respective containers are held on the holding devices along the transport direction. To this end, the containers, i.e. for example bottles, are held by their mouth region by way of the holding devices, with the containers, i.e. for example bottles, being able to stand on support devices such as, for example, turntables, or are transported suspended. The containers can, of course, also be held in their waist region.
DE 10 2004 011 101 A1 is concerned with a filling element for the contactless filling of containers with a liquid filling material. For the purpose of filling level monitoring, a probe can be moved to a measurement position in which the probe extends into the container.
DE 10 2004 038 323 B4, on the other hand, discloses a method for the bottom filling of bottles in which the filling tube is held only slightly below the level of the liquid, and in which a relative motion between filling tube and container is controlled.
DE 10 2005 058 616 A1 discloses a filling level monitoring in which a measuring probe is used.
DE 10 2007 041 684 A1 also concerns a filling device, in particular, one having a medium distribution device.
DE 10 2008 029 208 A1 relates to an open jet filling system, e.g. for the contactless filling of bottles. The system exhibits a fill-level probe disposed on a locating device. DE 10 2008 030 948 A1 again discloses a fill-level probe, with DE 10 2008 032 370 A1 also disclosing an electric probe for determining the filling level. DE 10 2009 009 339 A1 deals mainly with a filling system for the filling of containers, whereas DE 10 2009 009 340 A1 discloses a method for the pressure-filling of containers. DE 10 2009 016 322 A1 also discloses a filling system.
DE 10 2009 040 346 A1 discloses a container-handling device, in block design, comprising a combination of a stretch blowing device, a labeling device and a filling device.
DE 196 02 655 A1 discloses that a test bottle can be used for filling level control, with a displacement body being disposed inside the test bottle.
In DE 10 2009 035 605 A1 it is disclosed that during filling, the walls of the containers, such as, for example, the known PET bottles, can stretch because of the drink which is being filled. This stretching can vary from container to container because the extent of the stretching may depend on different factors such as, for example, different preform manufacturers, the age of the preform, variations in the stretch-blowing process, or the amount of time that elapses between the stretch-blowing process and the filling operation. This stretching occurs during the bottling of gas-carrying, such as for example carbonated, drinks and can also and in addition to the above factors vary as a function of the gas content. Depending on the extent of the stretching, the filling level also fluctuates for the same volumetric amount so that even a correct volumetric amount can bring about an incorrect filling level. Consequently DE 10 2009 035 605 A1 proposes measuring the filling volume so as to be able to determine, irrespective of the stretch condition, whether each of the filled containers exhibits the same filling level. Downstream of the volume measurement is a filling level control unit. But its only function is to determine whether the bottle has a leak. The volume measuring device as proposed by DE 10 2009 035 605 A1 is a flow meter.
It is known that containers can exhibit different contours, with it being possible to produce different filling height levels in the case of different contours, i.e. different outer shapes, despite the same filling volume. Generally however, liquid levels should not be arranged below the filling level control element as this suggests to the consumer an under-filled bottle even though the required volume is filled. Containers therefore exhibit certain tolerances such that even when the filling quantity is correct, the result of the filling level inspection fluctuates and the situation has to be averaged.
A certain compensation through observing the actual container contour is known from DE 10 2006 047 566 A1. This provides for an optical device that X-rays the transparent bottle and captures it with a camera, with the outer shape of the container being measured at the same time together with the filling level so as to be able to calculate the filling volume of the bottle in this way.
This approach, proposed by DE 10 2006 047 566 A1, has the disadvantage that the volume is determined as a function of the filled filling material in every case.